Ben Carson compares abortion to slavery, would 'love to see' Roe v. Wade overturned

Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson likened abortion to slavery in a Sunday interview on NBC's Meet the Press.

"Think about this," Carson said. "During slavery, a lot of the slave owners thought that they had the right to do whatever they wanted to that slave. Anything that they chose to do. And, you know, what if the abolitionist had said, you know, 'I don't believe in slavery. I think it's wrong. But you guys do whatever you want to do.' Where would we be?"

The retired neurosurgeon also told host Chuck Todd he'd "love to see" Roe v. Wade — the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion — overturned. Carson said he would not support exceptions in cases of rape or incest, but that if a woman's life is in danger, there's "room to discuss that."

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"I'm a reasonable person and if people can come up with a reasonable explanation of why they would like to kill a baby, I'll listen," Carson said.

Carson hasn't always been so firmly pro-life, and just last week, he declined to take a clear stance on Roe v. Wade.

Watch Carson's full interview below. Julie Kliegman